Unwritten
by Nobody Hekele
Summary: Bday present for Grl Who Changs NamsAlot. SesshyOc from my other stories. What trials do Sesshy and Hekele go through in the week between Naraku's defeat and when Kagome regains consciousness? Can the couple survive Sesshy's confusing emotions? Can Se


**Unwritten**

This is a one-shot song-fic written for Grl Who Changs Nams-Alot, formerly known as

Faith's Fate, formerly known as Angst Garra Writer, formerly known as Anime's Writer. It's her birthday! Happy birthday! Woot!

Anywho, she requested a song-fic featuring Sesshoumaru and my OC from my story 'Kagome's Song and Inuyasha's Love' and its sequel, 'Loving Thru the Trials of Love'. For those of you who already read those stories, this one-shot will have more meaning to you.

Do you remember, in KSAIL, (story one,) after Kagome defeated Kikyo and remained unconscious for a week? Has anyone ever wondered what occurred during that week? I wrote how Inuyasha was brought back and from there skipped to when Kagome woke up back in Kaede's village, but I never even hinted at what happened in between those events.

Well, since Inuyasha hadn't made his wish on the Jewel yet, the humans are still human, and their demon friends/loves are still immortal demons. One can only imagine what uncertainties that brought to light after the defeat of Naraku and Kikyo. This one-shot, along with the song 'Unwritten' by Natasha Bedingfield explores the one week and some odd hours trial that tested Sesshoumaru and my OC's, (Hekele,) relationship.

Faith's Fate, when prompted with my ideas, you chose romance/slight angst; I hope you enjoy this story and I hope it delivers the quality you expect from me. Happy Birthday!

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_Starts when Sesshoumaru comes back to life; still at Naraku's burning castle_

Sesshoumaru stared at the barren waste that had once been Naraku's castle. When had it erupted into flames, and when had he gotten outside? Sesshoumaru touched his chest and found that his gaping wound, inflicted by Naraku, was nonexistent. Hadn't he died? Hadn't the wound ripped through his heart and killed him? He certainly remembered Naraku inflicting the wound, and he recalled all too vividly looking at Hekele's bloodied body one final time as he collapsed against to the ground.

_**I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined  
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned**_

Deeply confused and in pain at the memory of Hekele's throat being ripped open by one of Naraku's appendages, he forced himself into a sitting position on the ground and looked at his surroundings in question. He saw Kachie and Koga hugging one another off to the side and refrained from rolling his eyes by only a small margin; Inuyasha was holding Kagome in his arms, and though her scent gave away the fact that she was alive, Sesshoumaru could tell that she was severely weakened and would be unconscious for a long time. He turned around once more and saw Kanna and Kagura standing up from where they had apparently fallen. Kanna more than Kagura radiated with their new found freedom, a gift given to them by Hekele in her final seconds of life. Kanna looked, dare he say it, alive now; she boasted color instead of her normal ash white skin and hair. Sesshoumaru could not bring himself to think well of her new lease on life however, not after what it had cost.

An odd scent met his nose and he turned sharply to see the demonslayer and the monk sitting up from where they lay. Now Sesshoumaru was more than merely confused; he had witnessed their deaths, and the scents of their dead bodies had invaded his senses. How is it that they were alive? It wasn't possible...

Looking down at Tenseiga, he found the spell that Naraku had placed on it dispersed and proceeded to stand. He fingered the hilt gingerly and scanned the ground for Hekele's body, and when he found it, he walked over to her purposefully.

_**Staring at the blank page before you  
Open up the dirty window  
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find  
**_

He stood over her body with a frown barely visible on his face; why was Tenseiga not reacting? Why were the messenger demons from Hell not visible to him? Gripping his sword in anger, he held it over her body once more. Nothing happened. Sesshoumaru snarled a bit and forced his sword back in to its sheath, cursing its uselessness. He knelt over Hekele's body and his expression grew even more angered at the slight burns all over her, presumably from the fire still raging the castle.

His hand gingerly brushed a few blood soaked strands of hair from her face and gazed at her remorsefully. He knew he should have sent her to safety with Rin when he'd had the chance, and yet he had allowed her to fight a battle not her own. Now she was dead, as all mortals would be eventually. He had not protected her as one who cares for her should have. He could not even avenge her as someone who loved her was expected to. She was gone because he hadn't been there.

The two of them had promised Rin that they'd come home safely. He recalled all to vividly how she declared that if they didn't she'd never forgive them, and he knew that even if she didn't know it herself, that she was right. He had failed to keep this promise to Rin, this promise that was probably the most important one that he could have ever made. The thought disturbed him more than he would ever confess to any living soul.

Sesshoumaru then heard something that he didn't understand, and gazed down at Hekele's body in confusion. Was her heart beating? How was that possible? Confused and subconsciously hopeful, Sesshoumaru wiped away the blood on Hekele's throat where Naraku had pierced her and was astonished to find that the wound was gone. Gazing at her in wonder, Sesshoumaru was plagued with the thought that, with the somehow peaceful expression on her face, she looked like a blood-stained angel, _his_ blood-stained angel.

Then something he expected even less occurred; her chest suddenly rose and fell with breath, and his tortured angel opened her sapphire blue eyes. She was alive...

_**Reaching for something in the distance  
So close you can almost taste it  
Release your inhibitions  
**_

Hekele's eyes lingered unfocused for a moment before she could make out Sesshoumaru kneeling above her. Her lips parted slightly in surprise and she offered him a tired smile, glad that he was all right. She suddenly felt herself wrapped securely in one of his arms and being lifted into a sitting position, and it was then that Sesshoumaru's other arm wrapped around her as well. He was holding her, hugging her, and Hekele couldn't help but smile softly and hug him in return.

"What's with you? You're not one to hug lightly..." she said softly, causing Sesshoumaru to roll his eyes a bit.

"...You were killed; do you not remember?" he asked, still not letting go of her. Although, he did manage to loosen his grip on her a little.

Hekele nodded, "Yeah, I remember...but I'm all right now, so it doesn't matter..."

Sesshoumaru's expression darkened slightly, and he struggled not to yell at her for her stupidity. "It matters a great deal that you were killed; I could not protect you and that is unacceptable."

Hekele flinched a bit at his tone, but shook her head. "You did all you could to protect me. I was the one who pissed off Naraku, remember? If I hadn't given Kanna and Kagura their hearts back, and had opted to stay out of his way instead, I might not have been hurt..." she replied gently.

Sesshoumaru's face turned into his normal passive expression as he finally let go of her and stood up abruptly. Hekele winced a bit at the sudden lack of warmth but shook it off; she shouldn't have expected it to last as long as it had. Standing up beside him, Hekele took her first look around at their surroundings, and was shocked at all she saw.

"...How long was I dead? And more importantly...what happened from then until now?" she asked. Sesshoumaru graced her with an answer.

"I am not certain myself..." At Hekele's confused expression, he elaborated. "You were not the only fatality and yet, like you, everyone lost now lives. I have no knowledge upon how such a thing is possible, however."

Hekele's eyes widened at his words. She had assumed that he had brought her back to life with the Tenseiga, but obviously he hadn't; he had perished as well. Hekele looked him over critically and her eyes found the large tear in his kimono, through part of the top of his armor, and knew it had been the killing blow. Though it was now healed, she was saddened to know that he had died as well. "It didn't hurt...did it?" she asked. Her death had been swift, and she hadn't been in pain; she hoped he had been as fortunate.

Sesshoumaru refrained from answering her truthfully; he had been in a great deal of emotional pain, (which he would admit to no one, including himself,) as well as immense physical pain. It had taken almost a whole minute to die, and that was a minute of horrid pain rivaled by nothing he had felt thus far. He would not tell Hekele this, however. "No, it didn't. My own death was as swift as yours."

Hekele nodded slightly and sadly hugged Sesshoumaru around his middle, surprising the demon lord slightly. He calmed a bit and wrapped an arm around her loosely, finding it difficult to be irritated with her any longer.

He should have protected her better; he should have gotten to her side swifter, and no matter what nonsense she spouted about it not being his fault or responsibility, it was. He had failed to protect her, and then he had failed to avenge her. Such things did not bode well with him.

_**Feel the rain on your skin  
No one else can feel it for you  
Only you can let it in  
**_

Hekele was leaning on him heavily, and sensing her fatigue, Sesshoumaru held her a bit tighter. It was then that it began to rain lightly. Sesshoumaru cursed the weather mentally, though Hekele only began to smile. Why did this girl have to be so odd? Did she truly enjoy the rain? The fool could get ill if she remained out in it too long...

After looking around a bit and seeing the others attempting to get up and moving in regards to the weather change, he spoke. "Let's go home...Rin is waiting..." he said, barely above a whisper. Hekele nodded into his chest and suddenly felt Sesshoumaru bend slightly and hook his free arm under her legs and lift her up. Giving him a confused expression, (which was heavily laced in blush,) Hekele was about to speak when he beat her to it.

"Rest, Hekele. Your scent is lined with fatigue, and you can barely stand."

"What about you? Aren't you tired?" she asked, concerned. Sesshoumaru smirked as he began to walk towards where the others were gathering.

"Unlike you, I happen to not have a weak human body. I do not tire easily." Hekele rolled her eyes once before closing them and snuggling into his now dirtied, though still rather fluffy, tail.

"Whatever..."

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Kagome was still out cold, but she appeared all right for the most part. Inuyasha had told everyone what had happened up until Kikyo had killed him, but that still left the ending a mystery. Kagome had apparently been the only one left alive at that point, and had obviously won the battle, but how? What had happened to turn the tide of battle, and how had life been restored to everyone that had died?

Sesshoumaru sat pondering this and many other thoughts that dared to enter his mind. He was plagued by something that Naraku had said, and though the evil hanyou had only been jesting Inuyasha, he had made a valid point. When the wish was made upon the Jewel to rid it from the world, Hekele, Kachie, and Kagome would have to choose where they wished to remain, in the past, (with himself, Koga, and Inuyasha,) or in the future where they came from and truly belonged. Sesshoumaru couldn't shake the feeling that they would choose their time; they had every reason to do so. When faced between the choice of family over friends, one always chose family...

Sesshoumaru, however, did not wish for her to choose her time at all. He would much rather have her stay in this time where he could watch over her; Rin too loved Hekele dearly, and would miss her immensely if she were to leave and never return. To Sesshoumaru, it would be as if she had remained dead; what was the difference? Either way, she would be gone forever.

But Sesshoumaru would never say a word to Hekele, or anyone else for that matter. A demon lord had no need for such thoughts, and they were almost as unbecoming of him as falling in love with a human. Too bad he had already admitted to himself _that_ had already happened...

_**No one else, no one else  
Can speak the words on your lips  
Drench yourself in words unspoken  
**_

"Sesshoumaru? What's up? You've been quieter than usual..." Hekele asked, walking into Kaede's hut, where he had been sitting alone. Kagome was resting in another room off to the side, and though the hut was trafficked often to check up on her, Sesshoumaru had paid no mind to anyone. Even Kanna and Kagura, who had decided to join the group on the trip back to the village, (and for some unknown reason, still remained there,) didn't attract more than an annoyed thought from the stotic demon. His only response to Hekele's intrusion was to level her with a stare that clearly told her that she had interrupted some important chain of thought that he had been entertaining.

Hekele sighed as she registered the stare and only sat next to him in silence. She knew that Sesshoumaru needed to sort through whatever was on his mind on his own. He wouldn't say anything to her unless he felt it imperative that she know what was on his mind, and unless he was upset with her about something, it most likely wasn't imperative for her to know. So instead of pressing the issue and gaining fruitless results, she simply enjoy being in his presence and stared outside at the light rain that was falling. It seemed that since they had left Naraku's palace the day before, it had done nothing but rain.

Not that Hekele minded at all; on the contrary, she absolutely loved the rain. If she could do anything, it would be to control the rain. It always seemed to sooth her whenever she had a lot on her mind, and whenever she really needed a good cry, the sky seemed to cry with her. It gave her the feeling that she wasn't alone in the world, and that something far greater than herself was weeping for her sorrows; she always felt better at the thought, no matter how frivolous it was...

"Why are you staring out at the rain? Are water droplets falling from the sky truly that fascinating?" Sesshoumaru asked suddenly. Hekele smiled, glad to hear him speak, and shrugged.

"Not fascinating...just...nice..." Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow.

"'Nice?' How is rain, and constant rain at that, 'nice'?" he questioned, curious at her words. Hekele looked at him and grinned.

"Rain...soothes me. I feel like it reflects my mood...when I'm sad, I always seem to be in a downpour, when I'm really happy, there's always a light sprinkle dancing around me, and when I need to vent or get a good adrenaline rush, I find a nice dark thunderstorm to run around in. The lightning and thunder get my heart pumping and I feel like all the pressure in me is just released...and I laugh. It feels so good..." she admitted quietly, smiling at how a few droplets of rain were blown through the hut window and hit her face lightly. She closed her eyes and just let it soak into her very being, and grinned.

_**Live your life with eyes wide open  
Today is where your book begins  
The rest is still unwritten  
**_

Sesshoumaru watched the small phenomenon with mild awe. It was odd how though the wind was blowing in an opposite direction, the rain still managed to find its target in the hut. And her words reminded him of something he had heard once. "If I didn't know any better, and I do, I'd think you were the descendant of a rain demoness...if what you say about your emotions and the weather is true, of course..."

Hekele sighed. "Well, it can't rain all the time...the earth would flood. But most notable times in my life included rain somehow...all my major triumphs, all my heartache, all my serious 'get-away-from-people' moods...there was rain of some sort. Nothing perfect, or supremely horrible, has ever happened to me without the rain reflecting my mood..." she elaborated. Sesshoumaru nodded.

"Well, since you cannot possibly be a descendant of a rain demoness, as I would detect it in your scent if you _were_, perhaps a reincarnated soul then..." he teased lightly, causing Hekele to smile and look up at him again.

"Yeah...maybe...who knows?" she consented. Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at her childishness and watched as she stood to leave.

"I'll leave you to your previous thoughts, and I apologize for intruding on them," she said half-heartedly, walking through the door. Sesshoumaru stared after her as she left. He would miss her dearly when she returned to her home.

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Sesshoumaru sat outside gingerly, looking over as Rin and Shippo played a game of tag. Jakken was being forced to play as well, and unfortunately for the toad demon, he was 'it'. The demon lord was mentally making plans; plans he had come to conclusion that were best.

It had finally ceased raining, and though Hekele seemed acutely disappointed, Sesshoumaru couldn't have been further from the feeling. It was the perfect time to do what he felt he had to. When night fell, he would act.

_Rin will not be pleased, but it is necessary..._

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Rin blinked her eyes in a drowsy haze before realizing that Jakken had awoken her. She was about to grumble at him and go back to sleep, when he leveled her with one of his annoying glares.

"Lord Sesshoumaru-sama says that we are leaving. Grab your things, now!" he hissed quietly. Rin's eyes widened in shock at his words. Leaving? Was Hekele coming with them? Rin looked over next to her and found Hekele still deep in sleep. She made move to wake the older girl but Jakken slapped away her hand and scowled.

"Don't wake her up! We're leaving, just us! We're taking no one with us, so grab your things quietly and get a move on!" he scolded quietly. Tears welled in Rin's eyes but she obeyed, if it was one thing she couldn't bring herself to do, it was to disobey her Lord Sesshoumaru-sama.

Saying a silent good-bye to her Hekele-chan, Rin took one of the flowers that she had picked earlier that day and put it in Hekele's partially open hand near her heart. Rin would miss her...

It was as she was picking up the doll that she had gotten in Hekele's time that Sesshoumaru walked into the hut, presumably to see what was taking her so long. Rin looked at him sadly and walked outside, leaving her clothing from the future behind; she wouldn't be needing it now...

Sesshoumaru looked at the young girl's back remorsefully before continuing into the hut and stopping next to Hekele's futon. He kneeled down next to her silently and lightly stroked her cheek with one of his claws, careful not to cut her.

_**I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines  
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way  
**_

"I...am sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair once before standing slowly and walking out of the hut. He didn't bother to stop walking the entire way out of the village, not even looking back to see if Rin and Jakken were following him; he knew they were.

All he could think about, however, was the small flower he had seen in Hekele's hand, and knowing she would understand its meaning. He idly hoped his departure affected her less than it was him...

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"Hekele? What's wrong? You seem kind of antsy..." Sango asked idly, eating her breakfast. Hekele bit her lip lightly.

"Yeah, you keep popping you head up every ten seconds and looking in all directions like a damn prairie dog..." Kachie mused, yawning. Hekele blushed a bit and looked at the ground.

"Have...have any of you seen Rin? She wasn't in the hut this morning, and her doll's gone too. I...also haven't seen Jakken...or Sesshoumaru..." she said timidly. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"The idiot probably went on a walk and Rin must've gone with him. Jakken trails him like he's the ass's shadow, so he's probably pissing my brother off as we speak..." he said in a confident tone. Hekele bit her lip again.

"I...I found this in my hand this morning..." she said, showing the group the flower. Miroku's eyes widened a bit and he exchanged worried looks with Koga and Inuyasha.

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about Hekele-chan, but if you'd like, we can ask a few of the villagers if they've seen them..." Miroku offered. Koga, Kachie, and Sango nodded as well. Hekele only smiled weakly in return.

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_**Staring at the blank page before you  
Open up the dirty window  
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find  
**_

"Left? As in, packed up and gone, left?" Sango asked the man incredulously. The man only nodded, he had been awake late the previous night and had seen the demon lord, his vassal, and ward leaving the village after most everyone else had already gone to sleep. Sango turned to face Hekele, but found herself staring at the retreating back of the girl. Just as Sango was about to call out to her, Inuyasha appeared at her side.

"What's up with her? I can smell tears," he asked. It was then that Koga appeared too, as well as Kanna and Kagura, all having smelled the scent of Hekele's tears and curious as to what had caused them. Koga was the only one with an idea of what was wrong.

Sango sighed sadly, "It seems...that Sesshoumaru, Jakken, and Rin were seen leaving the village late last night...and they haven't returned..." Everyone stared at her in shock. No one had thought that the demon lord would leave so soon, much less without saying good-bye to Hekele at least. It was almost as if...it were forever.

"That bastard! How dare he just up and leave!" Kagura growled, enraged that Sesshoumaru had such audacity. Inuyasha scowled.

"I should've know he was still up to no good..." he stated testily, though he himself was extremely shocked at his older half-brother's actions. He had thought Sesshoumaru incapable of something so low...obviously he had been wrong.

"What should we do? Hekele-san...will not be taking this well..." Kanna asked. Everyone sighed collectively. Just as Koga was about to say something, it began to rain, hard. Funny how the sky knew when to weep...

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_**Reaching for something in the distance  
So close you can almost taste it  
Release your inhibitions  
**_

Sesshoumaru looked up at the sky and almost visibly winced. Rain clouds had appeared out of nowhere, and he had a gut feeling as to why they were there.

'_When I'm sad, I always seem to be in a downpour...'_ he recalled Hekele saying. He looked down at the ground, almost as if in shame, and simply continued walking. He had known she would be upset, but leaving before things became difficult was best for everyone.

Rin was visibly upset with him. She wasn't speaking to him as she normally would try to do, she wasn't pestering him to stop so that she could play with Jakken in the flowers, she wasn't humming or singing; she wasn't even running to keep up with him at his side. In fact, he could tell that she was intentionally staying as far from him as she could manage. She was also still clutching her doll, that damnable thing that Hekele had given her in the other era. Sesshoumaru didn't mind it in itself so much as he minded the fact that it was a reminder of Hekele. He was not about to take Rin's toy from her, however, even he would not stoop to such a low.

It was then that he felt the rain begin to fall. It was a heavy, thick curtain of water, and Sesshoumaru could only force himself to keep his resolve and continue walking away from the village. He had the unwelcome urge to go back and make things right, which confused him. Not even a month ago, he wouldn't have given a damn about any of this, and yet now he had to fight with himself to not go running to check up on that strange girl from the future. During the battle with Naraku, Sesshoumaru had attempted to understand what love was, and he still found himself unsure.

_**Feel the rain on your skin  
No one else can feel it for you  
Only you can let it in  
**_

He knew he loved Hekele, but what precisely love entailed he didn't know. Pain, he knew, for it pained him to be walking in the direction he was, and yet he knew that when Hekele left for her time, he would feel an even deeper pain. He knew he would be able to pin-point the exact moment she left, and yet he didn't understand why. He would be far enough away from her to not detect it with his nose, or any of his senses for that matter, so how would he know? The answer he came up with disturbed him.

He simply would...

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Kachie held Hekele lightly, trying to sooth her. She had stopped her silent crying after a couple of hours, but her eyes were still red and puffy with unshed tears. Sesshoumaru had yet to reappear, and it seemed as though everyone's worst suspicions were true. He had simply left.

Kachie looked down at her best friend and sighed; she knew she would react the same way if Koga were to leave, but Kachie knew better than to think he would. He had chosen her over Kagome, just as Inuyasha had chosen Kagome over Kikyo. They had passed Naraku's 'test' in that dimension created by the Shikon Jewel, thus unwittingly proving their love for one another at the same time.

That's what was really bothering everyone. Sesshoumaru and Hekele had also passed that test. Sesshoumaru had come running to save her and Rin. Afterwards, the group had all been witness to their affection for one another, especially when Sesshoumaru had held her hand, held _her_, comforted her...and when Hekele had died, Sesshoumaru had gone into a rage and fought Naraku to avenge her. That battle had cost him his life. When Hekele had come back to life, he had readily embraced her...so what had happened to make him leave? Certainly nothing Hekele had done...

Hekele sat up fully then, making Kachie look at her oddly. Her friend was looking at the ground sadly before standing up and walking to the door of the hut. "Hekele?" she asked, causing the other inhabitants of the hut to look at her questioningly. Hekele sighed softly, barely audible.

"I'm...I'm going to go for a walk...I'll be back in a bit..." she said.

Sango looked at her worriedly. "It's raining though...you could catch a cold..." she pointed out. Kachie shook her head.

"Nah, it's ok Sango...this is her thing; she'll be fine..." she stated. Hekele gave her a grateful smile and was about to walk out of the hut when Koga called to her.

"Hey, if you run into trouble, give us a yell, ok? The rain is making it hard to smell anything out there." Hekele gave him smile as well and nodded. She walked out of the hut then, straight into the pouring rain. Everyone watched her disappear and sighed. They hoped she'd be all right. Kagura growled.

"Enough of this shit; I'm outta here..." she stated. Kanna looked up at her oddly.

"Where are you going?" she asked. Kagura rolled her eyes.

"Hekele's got the right idea; I'm gonna go for a fly; this place is too gloomy right now..." she replied airily. Kanna looked at her critically before nodding slowly, knowing better than to question the obvious fib. Besides, she had an idea as to what her sibling was up to...

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_**No one else, no one else  
Can speak the words on your lips  
Drench yourself in words unspoken  
**_

Sesshoumaru sat calmly in the downpour, allowing the rain to caress his face. It had not ceased its onslaught in the past two days, and he just resigned himself to it. Obviously, someone up there was angry with him, but he was not one to change his course of action based on Mother Nature's wishes.

He closed his eyes and idly wondered if he had truly made the right decision. Whether or not Hekele was really connected to the rain as the two had joked did not matter; he still knew within himself that the rain was unwittingly reflecting her emotions. He didn't know how he knew this, but he knew it.

"Damn you've covered a lot of ground; what're you running away from?" he heard a feminine voice ask him. Sesshoumaru visibly rolled his eyes.

"This Sesshoumaru has no need to speak with you Kagura; go away."

Kagura growled, "Well, _this Kagura _thought you might like to know what a pompous ass you were, along with what a supreme _baka _you've become. Why'd you suddenly pack up your tail and leave? And without saying good-bye to Hekele at that? Do you realize how many tears that fool's shed for you?"

Sesshoumaru made no move to turn and look at the angry demoness behind him, but decidedly changed the subject. "If she were so upset with my departure, then why are _you _here?" Kagura glared at his back.

"I'm here because one; she is human and cannot travel as fast as a demon, nor sniff one out, two; she's under the impression that _you_ didn't want to be with _her_, and three; she has no idea that I'm even here. I elected to come because I owe her my life and freedom, and thought that this was a worthy way to repay some of my debt. Now, why the hell did you leave!" Kagura retorted boldly. Sesshoumaru growled at her.

"I have no need to explain my actions to you."

"No, but you ought to explain them to Hekele, and since you've obviously got no intention of telling her yourself, let me."

"No."

Kagura folded her arms angrily. She had been traveling all day and night to catch up to the bastard and now he wasn't answering her questions; she was beyond annoyed with the demon lord. "I know you love her, Sesshoumaru. You went after her when Naraku kidnaped her, you passed the stupid test, you went into a rage when she was murdered, and when she was revived, you held her as though she were precious glass. It is no secret how you feel about her, so don't think you can trick me into thinking that you never did by acting cold towards her pain. That you love her is not in question; why, despite that love, you left her without so much as a good-bye, (let alone a reason,) _is_, however. Now, talk," she ordered boldly, knowing that he could probably kill her if he so desired. She wasn't afraid of him, however; his demeanor had changed since meeting Hekele, and Kagura knew he would not make an attempt at her life for her 'insolence'.

_**Live your life with eyes wide open  
Today is where your book begins...**_

Sesshoumaru snarled at her threateningly, finally turning to glare at her icily. Kagura barely flinched from beneath the tree she was standing under to seek shelter from the rain. "It is none of your concern, nor is it any of hers," he ground out. Based on the angry display of emotion, Kagura realized that she had hit a nerve, and she had the gut feeling that it wasn't because she had actually ordered him to do something.

Her eyes widened ever so slightly in realization, "You don't even know, do you? You probably have some idea, a rough one, but the real reason you left still eludes you...doesn't it?"

Sesshoumaru continued to glare at her. "I left because when she returned to her time, she will not be able to access the well again, and if she cannot come back here, I would rather she hate me than dwell over the fact that could never come back here to see Rin and myself. On top of that, a relationship of any sort would never be an option, as she is human and will wither and die before I even age a day," he bit out.

It was then that Kagura actually understood what was going through Sesshoumaru's mind. She looked at him pityingly before shaking her head. "That's a load of bull-shit and you know it. Rin is human as well, and you've kept her by your side and protected her all this time, so that reason really has no grounds; you also assume she will return to her time. You don't know that will happen any more than I do; Kagome isn't, that much is obvious. She's fought too hard to gain Inuyasha's affection to simply go home, so why would Hekele? Or Kachie for that matter?

Here's what I think the reason is Sesshoumaru; you're _afraid_. I think you're _afraid _of her aging and dying, and I think you're _afraid _of being alone now that you know what it's like to have someone love you. You're _running away _from something and someone that is completely remarkable because you're _afraid _of what will happen to you if and when it finally disappears. So you decided to end it before you got too attached, even though you and I both know it's too late for that..." she stated with conviction. Sesshoumaru could do nothing more than stare at her with his cold eyes, too deep in shock at her words to retort. Kagura took a deep breath after her little rant, having not bothered to take a breath in favor of finishing her theory without interruption, and took a feather out of her hair and hopped onto it.

"I'm not going to tell them anything, any of them. It's not my place to fulfill your obligation, and you _are_ obligated to at least tell Hekele that load of shit you told me. If you _really _want her to move on with her life if she goes back to her era and one day fall in love with some other bastard instead of you, then you had better give her the closure that she deserves, even if it's just your false reason; that way she'll know that you don't really hate her, and that it wasn't her fault. If you don't give her that much, she'll forever second guess herself and never allow herself to get too attached to anyone, and grow old and die alone. I know you don't want that for her, even _you're _not that selfish." Just as Kagura finished her speech, she took off on her feather and headed back towards the village through the rain. She didn't bother to wait for a reply, or an insult, or anything; she just left the confused and irked dog demon to his thoughts and mentally grumbled to herself about how stupid men were. She did hope, however, that he listened to someone besides himself for once and would take her advice to heart...even if she _had _delivered it as an angry rant. Hekele did at least deserve _something_...

_**Feel the rain on your skin  
No one else can feel it for you  
Only you can let it in  
**_

Sesshoumaru watched her go with a scowl on his face, though in his head the gears of his mind were turning in overdrive. Surely Hekele would return to her time, and Sesshoumaru only wanted it to be easier on her. He was most certainly _not_ afraid of being alone again; he hadn't cared before, so why should he now? Fear was pointless, and Sesshoumaru never took part in the indulgence of anything pointless.

He mentally came up with the picture of Hekele in the arms of another man, and he suddenly felt as though his blood was on fire. The thought raged him, and he wasn't sure why. Was that what love meant? Finding one person you truly cared about and never wanting to let them go? He wanted Hekele to be happy...but if it meant her falling in love with someone else all the while thinking that he himself had never truly loved her, he didn't know if he could simply stand by and let it happen.

Sesshoumaru rubbed his temples; he could feel a migraine coming on, and it was still raining on him as well. He decided to retreat to the thick foliage of another tree, where Rin and Jakken had remained blissfully asleep all the while Kagura was 'visiting'. He would rest that night and rouse his companions early the next day; he wanted to start moving again as soon as possible.

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Hekele sighed as she sat beneath the God Tree; its branches were enough to keep the majority of the heavy rain from getting to her, so that she wouldn't become ill as Sango had warned two days before, but they still allowed enough of it through to dance on her playfully. Despite her sadness, she felt herself at least calmed by the rain, but she doubted it could cheer her up like it normally did. At this point, that notion was pretty much impossible.

_**No one else, no one else  
Can speak the words on your lips  
Drench yourself in words unspoken**_

_I guess it wasn't meant to be...or else he'd still be here. He didn't really love me when he came to save Rin and myself from Naraku, he just wanted to rescue Rin...it wasn't fair for me to assume that he actually had feelings for me based on that 'test'...I hadn't really thought so before then...but I had figured that I was wrong when he saved me...I guess I wasn't..._ she mused silently. She curled up her legs and laid her head on her knees dejectedly. Maybe it would be better if she just jumped through the well; if she couldn't stay with Sesshoumaru or see Rin, there really was no reason for her to be in the past, was there? Sure, she had friends there, but they were all together; she'd be the extra wheel holding them all back, and none of them deserved that. Her decision made, Hekele hopped off the God Tree's roots and started to head back for the village to get her bag; there was nothing left for her there anymore.

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_**Live your life with arms wide open  
Today is where your book begins  
The rest is still unwritten  
**_

"Are ye sure Hekele? There's no reason for ye to go ye know; yer more than welcome to stay here..." Kaede stated honestly. Hekele had just informed the group of her choice to go back to the other era, and so far, no one save Kaede had recovered from the shock enough to say anything. Hekele only smiled sadly and shook her head.

"No thanks...I'm sure. I'd be a bother to you and a hindrance to everyone else; this is best..." she replied sadly. Inuyasha gave her a serious look.

"Kagome's gonna be pissed with you when she wakes up, you know that?" he asked, glancing at the still-unconscious miko. Hekele nodded.

"Yeah...I know, but she'll get over it; she's got you now...she doesn't need me around."

"Hekele-chan, need isn't the issue, want is. We want you to stick around; we'll all miss you terribly if you go. You know you won't be able to come back..." Sango said quietly. Hekele smiled good-naturedly in return to the gesture.

"Things wanted aren't necessary for survival; things needed are. You'll all be fine later on, that much I can promise you," she stated in reply. Kachie sighed, wondering if she should vocalize what she was thinking briefly before going for it and doing so.

"What...what if he comes back?" she questioned timidly. Hekele looked at the ground sadly.

"It's been a little over four days since he left; if he intended to come back here, he would have by now. If I'm wrong and he does...then tell him I'm sorry...ok?" she requested. Everyone nodded solemnly and Hekele offered a strained smile.

"I'm going to leave first thing in the morning...so I'm going to go to bed now...ok? I'll see you guys again before I go though, I promise not to leave without saying good-bye..."

"All right Hekele...good night," Sango said, followed by a nod from Miroku. Everyone else bid Hekele to sleep well and the girl left the crowded room in favor of the empty one down the hall where her things were all packed save a fresh change of clothes and her sleeping bag. She crawled into the aforementioned bag and curled up into a sad little ball, hoping that somehow she would wake up and find Rin curled up next to her and discover that everything had been nothing more than a really bad dream. She was really reaching for it with this hope, but she couldn't help it.

_I don't really want to leave...but it's best that I do...I'd just be in the way here...third wheel Hekele...if Sesshoumaru, or at least Rin, were here...I'd belong here too...but they aren't...and I don't belong where I'm not needed for anything..._

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It was _still _raining. If Sesshoumaru didn't know any better, he'd swear the sun had simply decided to forsake its duties just to frustrate him. He was so close to his destination, and he wished to arrive at least a _little_ dry and retain _some_ of his dignity. Judging by the angry clouds in the sky, however, that wasn't going to happen.

_**Staring at the blank page before you  
Open up the dirty window  
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find  
**_

What would he say when he got there? He didn't really give a care as to what people thought about him in general, but he had been gone for quite some time. They would have undoubtedly begun to question his character by this point, and that was something that Sesshoumaru did not take kindly to.

He was never one to stay in one place for a very long time anyway; he'd always liked to travel and get away from things that became too familiar for his liking. Perhaps that would be enough for them, but he doubted it. He had neglected his responsibilities for quite a while, at least in his opinion, and he would have to deal with annoying lectures when he finally arrived.

Sesshoumaru wasn't in any hurry, however; there were thoughts that needed to be organized first before he addressed the issues he knew would immediately arise. He had to plan his words carefully, and his replies to the almost certain questions he would receive as well.

Suddenly a particular scent caught Sesshoumaru's attention, and he looked eastward in question. It was barely even dawn, (though with the light clouds and light rain, it was difficult to tell,) and Rin herself had gone back to sleep upon the recently summoned Ah-Un almost as soon as she had been awoken earlier. Why would anyone in their right mind, (aside from himself of course,) be awake at the current hour? Part of him made an assumption before the rest of him had time enough to process the information, and he took action.

"Jakken, proceed to our destination with Rin; I will be there shortly. Be sure she gets into dry attire and is given something warm to drink so that she doesn't become ill; if she does, your head will roll. Understood?" He didn't wait for an answer, knowing without doubt that it would be followed without question. He simply took off eastward to catch up to the puzzling enigma before it managed to get away from him.

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Hekele had all but tip-toed out of the hut as to not wake anyone. She had decided the previous night that good-bye was just too painful, and had merely left a note of apology. The day hadn't quite started yet, and she wanted to slip away before she could be stopped or delayed. If she was, Hekele feared that she may change her mind, and that would be more painful in the long run.

The well finally came into view and Hekele had never been so sad in her life. This was it; this was good-bye, forever. She walked on sullenly until she stood mere inches from the wooden landmark, staring at it as though it were foreign to her. She put her hand on it and caressed it silently as memories flooded her mind: her first time in the feudal era, when Sesshoumaru had bid her farewell her first time going home, her unhappy return when she, Kagome, Inuyasha, and new groupie Kachie had discovered the children had been kidnaped, when Sesshoumaru had hugged her for the first time, and when she had brought back that glass necklace charm for him as a gift...he had genuinely seemed to like that...he had put the darn thing on right away to show his appreciation...

Hekele sighed; it was now or never. She sat on the well, her legs dangling over the side and into the darkness. She had to leave before she fell into the depths of regret and changed her mind...and that was something that she could not allow. She braced herself against the edge and leaned into the well slightly, readying herself for the jump.

"And where do you think you are going?"

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Sesshoumaru had sped up when he realized exactly where Hekele's scent was headed. He would deal with the rest of their companions later; Hekele was headed towards the well, and he knew this was his only chance to do what was right.

When he emerged at the edge of the trees, he could only stand there for a moment watching her. She had leaned on the well, thinking upon something that eluded Sesshoumaru. Part of him, if only a small part, knew that she didn't want to leave. He watched apprehensively as she sat over the edge, still thinking it seemed. Only when she made move to jump in did he reveal himself.

Sesshoumaru was mildly surprised when she didn't just jump into the well anyway, just to spite him. Hekele had that type of fire, it was something he enjoyed about her. Sesshoumaru walked slowly out of the foliage of the forest and into the open, but Hekele made no move to face him, or get off the well.

"When did _you _get back?" Sesshoumaru inwardly winced a bit at her hurt tone, and the rain began to pick up a bit. He continued walking towards her, though still slowly, not wanting to scare her away.

"Just now...why are you leaving?" he asked, trying to make conversation. Hekele still didn't look at him.

"You left and took Rin and Jakken went with you; why would I stay?" she replied. This surprised Sesshoumaru.

"You left because we did? Why? You have more reason to stay than we do."

Hekele ignored his question. "Why did you come back?" she asked. Sesshoumaru hesitated.

"There are things...I should have discussed with you that I did not. I came back to do so," he replied. Hekele could be seen nodding a bit from where he stood a few feet behind her now.

"I see...well, discuss away." Her tone still held that hurt edge, and it bothered Sesshoumaru to hear it.

_**Reaching for something in the distance  
So close you can almost taste it  
**_

"I do care about you Hekele...deeply...and that is why I left." Hekele still didn't turn around.

"Bull-crap Sesshoumaru, if you cared at all you would have at least said good-bye before leaving. You didn't, you didn't even let Rin say good-bye either...and why would you leave if you cared so much? Explain that to me..." she retorted. Sesshoumaru looked at her back with a saddened expression and walked over to her side, holding his hand out to her.

"The rain is getting worse...come into the forest and get out of the worst of it; you'll become ill," he suggested quietly, losing most of the conviction he had appeared to her with. Hekele shook her head.

"I've been in the rain all week, and I haven't become ill yet; just say what you need to say and leave. I know you don't really want to be here," she replied. Sesshoumaru audibly sighed, though more in frustration than annoyance.

"Hekele, please come out of the well so that I know you will stay long enough to hear me out," he asked, his tone betraying a hint of pleading. Hekele thought to herself for a moment before relenting and turning a bit to take his hand. Sesshoumaru offered her a small smile before gently helping her off of the well. Without another word, he led her into the forest so that the branches would takes some of the rain's edge off and give the two a bit of reprieve. Hekele silently allowed him to do so, not fighting him.

When they got into the forest, Sesshoumaru stopped and turned to face her, happy that she had complied with him. The look of sadness on her face made the small weight that had been lifted reappear on him, and he sighed.

"Hekele...things are...more complicated than you think..."

"I don't see how it's complicated at all. There's you, there's me, and there's Rin. How is that complicated?"

"There are other factors..."

"No. Sesshoumaru, do you think that I haven't already thought about things? About those factors that you claim exist? One is the fact that I'll age and die eventually, sooner than later for you. Another is the fact that the well won't allow for time travel any more. Do you honestly think I've been oblivious to such things?" she asked, staring at him intently.

Sesshoumaru felt his mouth go a bit dry; truthfully, he _hadn't _thought that she had considered such things. "And what conclusions have you come to?"

Hekele felt tears in her eyes, "That it'll be difficult. That it'll hurt. But wouldn't the happiness out-weigh that?" Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a bit. What was she saying?

"I decided when I fell in love with you that I would stay here. I decided that even if I grew old and had to lay around in bed all the time in the end and watch as you never aged that I would still be happy being with you! I don't even need to consider it! It's something I just know! So tell me, what do _you_ think of those 'factors'?" she finished, the intense conviction in her eyes betraying her honesty. Sesshoumaru couldn't believe what she had said to him though. No, it wasn't that he thought she was lying, but just the fact that she had said such things.

"You fell in love with me?" It was more a statement than a question, and it was spoken so softly that Hekele almost didn't hear it, but she did.

"Yes I fell in love with you...what, did you think that this...was all just a crush? Puppy love?" she questioned, feeling more hurt than she had before. Sesshoumaru shook his head slightly.

"No...Such a though had never crossed my mind...but..." how was he to articulate what he was thinking? He didn't even really understand what he was thinking, it was more of a feeling really... "such things...are difficult to come by...love is not...as common as a strong friendship...which is quite rare in itself..." _Well_, Sesshoumaru realized idly,_ that most certainly didn't come out quite as I had hoped..._

Hekele looked at him in confusion, losing a bit of her edge in the new hurt that he had given her, "What do you mean? That we're just...friends?" Sesshoumaru could sense her deepening despair and mentally throttled himself; why was it that he was so damn inarticulate when it came to explaining his emotions?

His face softened a bit though, knowing he had to be honest to make things better. "I...did not know that you loved me...Such a thing, I suppose...never truly occurred to me. I left because I thought it would be easier to simply leave, because saying good-bye was too difficult...and I suppose...I was afraid." He could not believe that he had actually admitted to such a thing as feeling fear. He also couldn't believe that Kagura had been correct about why he had left. He _had_ been afraid...afraid of losing her to her time, her mortal body, and even to her own emotions. Sesshoumaru had known that he loved her, but though Kagura and others had told him that she loved him, he could never really see it. It was as if when she said it, the world made sense, and it dawned upon him that her not loving him was what he was really afraid of. As long as their emotions were the same...he _could _stand losing her to time...because they _would_ be happy together until the end...

Hekele was dumbfounded. Sesshoumaru had just said that he had been afraid. More importantly, he had been afraid of saying good-bye to _her_. He had left the same way she had left their friends that morning...because she had felt the same...she could understand now...that he had stayed away for so long upset her still, that he didn't know better than that she loved him annoyed her still, but she _could _understand... "I guess we have something in common then...I left without saying good-bye to our friends for the same reason...I couldn't do it..." she admitted. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly then, and took her hand lightly in his. Hekele blushed a bit and Sesshoumaru couldn't have been more thrilled to see her do so; the reaction signified that he had been forgiven, if only a little.

"Hekele, I..."

_**Release your inhibitions...**_

"I love you too...and...I am sorry that I left." Hekele's blush only deepened at his confession and she hugged him around his middle, burying her face in his chest to hide it. Sesshoumaru couldn't help the slight smirk that appeared on his face, knowing all too well what she was up to. He held her tightly to him, however, and stroked her hair.

"Just don't do it again..." she muttered lightly, and Sesshoumaru nodded to her as he pulled away slightly.

"I will not..." he replied, stroking the side of her face gingerly. His thumb rested on her cheek for a moment, thinking. He tilted her face upward to face him a bit better.

_**Feel the rain on your skin!**_

...And he kissed her. Lightly and tenderly, showing her that he had meant what he said. He loved her, and he wouldn't leave her again. He knew that he would be forgiven eventually; he wouldn't delude himself with the thought that she had completely forgiven him already, such a thought was unfounded.

He pulled away from her enough to see her reaction. What he had done was rather bold, even for him. The crimson that had suddenly covered her entire face somehow reassured him that he had stayed within boundaries, however. It was then that Hekele opened her eyes to look at him steadily. Then she smiled, a sincere, happy smile.

"Even when I age...you'll stay with me?" she asked quietly. Sesshoumaru smiled himself.

"Yes...I'll stay with you...no fear..." he replied softly. Hekele's smile brightened a little, all her doubt removed. She hugged him again, and Sesshoumaru held her tightly to him happily.

_**No one else can feel it for you  
Only you can let it in  
No one else, no one else  
Can speak the words on your lips**_

"...Where's Rin?" she asked, curious. Sesshoumaru smiled.

"At the village by now...waiting to see you," he replied. Hekele was about to say something else when the couple heard someone coming their way.

"Hey! Kagome woke up! If you two are done making up then get your asses back to the village!" came Inuyasha's rather impatient voice. Hekele's cheeks only flared up more and even Sesshoumaru felt a bit of heat rising into his face. But they ignored it in favor of smiling once more at one another before Sesshoumaru stole Hekele's hand in his and began walking towards the village. Both were smiling.

_**Drench yourself in words unspoken  
Live your life with arms wide open  
Today is where your book begins...**_

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Kagome placed the Jewel into Inuyasha's hands and after a brief interruption from Myoga, he made his wish.

_I wish...that even without this jewel...no matter what...we could always be together...all of us..._

When the blinding light from the Jewel disappeared, the awe everyone felt was unimaginable. All of them, including Kohaku and Rin, were demon.

_**Feel the rain on your skin  
No one else can feel it for you  
Only you can let it in  
**_

Hekele gazed at Sesshoumaru with a wild smile on her face. Now what was there to fear? She would not age as a human, because she was now a demon. Faith. Perseverance. Hekele knew that love could conquer all. But this made it so much easier.

Sesshoumaru felt her jump into his arms happily and had to struggle to catch her before she fell back over. He smiled warmly. Maybe things wouldn't be as bad as he had feared. And to think that he almost had thrown all this away...

_**Live your life with arms wide open  
Today is where your book begins  
The rest is still unwritten...  
**_

After Rin had glomped him as well, Sesshoumaru wrapped another arm around Hekele and pulled her close.

"...I still love you..." Hekele only smiled at his joke, as she was now no longer human.

"Yeah, and even though you're an ass, I still love you too."

_**The rest is still unwritten...**_

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**Me-** Happy birthday! Hope you liked your present! Was it angsty and happy enough! Hope so! Happy b-day again!


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